Closing the book on 2009 was a bittersweet experience for Mike “The Joker” Guymon. In those 365 days the 35-year-old turned his life around 180 degrees, climbing out of the depths of despair to reach the pinnacle of his ten-year mixed martial arts career by signing with the UFC.

The rocky road Guymon took to realize his longtime dream of fighting in the Octagon could have just as easily ended as a nightmare if it weren’t for the support of his friends and family who stood in his corner as he fought the fight of his life on September 7.

Following an argument with his wife Nicole, having come to the determination that his deteriorating marriage – much like his financially struggling gym and stalled fight career – was destined to eventually implode, Guymon decided it was time to throw in the towel and reached for a gun with the intention of ending his own life. Realizing in the nick of time what he was planning to do as she intuitively looked in on Guymon in their bedroom as he chambered around, Nicole wrestled the firearm away from her husband and tried to talk him out of making any further rash decisions.